


Along the Railways

by LiterallyAViking, r_shanie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, How Do I Tag, M/M, Minor Characters Death, Seijou, Seijou are like servicemen, Still thinking about adding Kouji and Izumi, They're not so important though, and other teams, aoba johsai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-15 04:56:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8043373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterallyAViking/pseuds/LiterallyAViking, https://archiveofourown.org/users/r_shanie/pseuds/r_shanie
Summary: The Railway project became the only way out for everybody who stayed on the areas, where the scientists and servicemen of the Divine Judges organization dominate now. Where you can run into zombied people at any point. Where the Death always stays behind you. Will Iwaizumi's team reach their Alive Center, one of the giant fortresses where people can live without fear? Or, rather, will the entire team reach it?





	Along the Railways

Iwaizumi glances at his smartwatch and looks around the place his team had happened upon. There are about twenty railways, overgrown and looking as if they were pinged in green. Lonely, dying rolling stocks and oodles of opened and closed cisterns lying around. A clear sky, the sun at it's zenith and buzzing insects. This must be a station. Maybe a freight station. But it seems like there are electric trains too: the team can see one standing nearby. Someone behind Iwaizumi — it must be Kindaichi — wonders out loud what this place looked like before the Judge day: the roar of the rolling stocks, wail of signals and the dispatcher's voice echoing all around burst to life in their memories. The wind off of the rushing trains hit their faces, and the railcars, cisterns and platforms flicker to life, flashing brightly as if in a dream…

But there's nothing of this now. Among the hundreds of railways there's only one that's important, and it's right under the team's feet.

The Railway Project was the last known way out after the organization of servicemen and scientists that called themselves the Divine Judges turned most of the population into zombie-like creatures. Only giant 'Alive Centers' kept countries alive: large, walled, protected fortresses, where people found a new life, or rather a continuation of their old lives. Agriculture reigned supreme here and life carried on. If one wanted to reach one, one needed to go along the specific railways that were coupled with the Centers. But the natives of these Centers couldn't even begin to imagine the deaths met along the way, most finding the grave before they even made it halfway to their destination. They would never know how many people became the servicemen's victims, turned into these zombie-like creatures and acting as the Judges' own servants. These people didn't simply rot alive, no, instead they simply worshiped their creators, reflexively eating and attacking everyone who didn't fall into that category. They weren't thoughtless, shambling creatures: they were aware, and that made them all the more dangerous.

Not many people were able to reach the Centers and thousands more would never reach it. For these who refused to move on "to go along the railway" was a common phrase meaning to go the pointless way. The way to nowhere. A walk from life straight into the jaws of death, as many who had survived bits of the Railway said. And, honestly, every one of the nine members of Iwaizumi's team, himself included, agreed with this notion. Many times now these neutral groups had taunted them: following their path them with their eyes, warning of destruction and offering them a place to stay. After all, one could get everything they needed just by assaulting one of the multiple servicemen's camps. But the Seijou group, as they so called themselves, couldn't do that. Not with the threat of the order of general mobilisation looming over their heads.

Despite all of this, the hope of reaching the Center lived on in everyone, regardless of how brightly it burnt in them. Nothing had stopped them before and hopefully nothing would stop them in the future.

But this was war. A real war. Without tanks, rockets and starfighters, without vast armies and flashing guns. It was worldwide, a quiet war in which one didn't just fight for themselves, instead fighting for humanity. Where one would do all they could to avenge every human left dead or brainwashed. Where one took a gun by one's own choice and put these morals and ethics above the cushy life promised in the Alive Centers. This was a voluntary war, despite how involuntarily they had been thrust into it.

If the watch on Iwaizumi's wrist was anything to go by, it was the 26th of June. The team carefully approached three wagons of a passenger train, their desperate need for supplies urging them forwards.

As they warily snuck into the car, the sound of quiet murmuring reached their ears. Quickly turning to face the source of the noise, they jump back as if by instinct. A serviceman stood tall in front of them, the haughty look on his face emphasized by the lady staring dumbly out at them from her position on the wall of the freight car. Her golden hair is matted in blood and dirt, tangled with sticks and leaves. Her eyes are empty and sad, an odd yellow goop dripping from them and staining her sickly green skin. The black gloves coating her owner's hands are lewdly placed on her body, drumming against her naked skin even as he eyes he lot of them.

Oikawa's eyes narrow furiously, a sneer of disgust crossing his face. Behind him, Kunimi turns his gaze from the scene, seemingly unaffected by what is unfolding before them. Only Kindaichi notes how his body shakes minutely, and that sight alone is enough to make him tremble as well. Memories pulse through their minds like blood through veins, but are quickly dismissed. There's no time for it now. And just like that fear is replaced by anger.

The lady's instincts immediately awakens and she was quick to push past the man and rush forward towards their small group. The screech of automatic gunfire pierces the air and just as quickly pierces the bodies before them. The woman's naked body is filled with bright red holes and soon she topples over, streams of crimson blood water-falling over the crevices of her body. The man follows after, a look of surprise frozen on his face as his body hits the floor of the dusty floor of the train car.

Hanamaki briefly glances at the man's body, disdain clear on his face, before taking in a deep breath and approaching the disgustingly hateful creature. These servicemen were the real monsters. This wasn't a video game, nor was it a film where zombies were the harbingers of death and destruction. Instead the main enemies that must be destroyed were the servicemen, slavers and jailers and men with hearts blacker than the gloves they dawned each morning. These zombies are different. It wasn't their fault. The sound of a crow's cry echoes through the station, alerting the group that they had to begin moving once again. They left these wagons with heavy hearts, continuously peeking back at the rickety locomotive that watches them with its worn out lights, as dead and unseeing as the bodies they leave behind.

Two days pass until they stumbled upon a tunnel. It's dark and dank, the insides glimmering and growling at them is if it were a beast. They eye it warily, the threat of what lies in the darkness pulling at them. They stand at the brink between light and dark, bristling nervously and exchanging knowing glances. With one last look at the green of the world, they take one last confident step and plunge themselves into the darkness.

Their ears sharpen in the quiet emptiness of the dark, the sound of heavy boots echoing off of the concrete walls and floor. Iwaizumi still steadily leads the the group with smoothly calculated steps, Oikawa taking up the rear of the group, and Hanamaki and Matsukawa flanking the sides of the group. In front of Tooru, Kyoutani walks gloomily, muttering quietly at himself, hands in pockets. With careful ears, the team can hear how he snaps at Yahaba's seemingly comforting words of encouragement and Watari's careful offerings to be quiet. Nearer to the front, right on Iwaizumi's heels, Kindaichi silently scolds the darkness, the dampness, and the whole goddamn world. He's not afraid, not at all, he just feels uncomfortable: Kindaichi has always been one of those people who prefers dry, sultry steppes and clouds of dust to damp, dank undergrounds. Kunimi, maybe, would roll his eyes if Kindaichi voiced these preferences but he is definitely in agreement with his partner.

Time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once in the tunnel, only a thin stream of light dripping from the ceiling told them it was still day. Ten more steps and they are met with the sight of a collapsed ceiling, wood pieces scraping the ground as thick streams of sunlight hammering into the tunnel and blinding them for half a moment. They notice small specks in the air, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye, making the sunlight seem less like a river of light and more like a cloud of heavy steam. Unexpected, the team notice a recess in the wall nearby from the right side. Without waiting for the order—or, rather, a spoken one—they prepare their guns and lisen carefully.

They can hear a roar, a murmur, and the comforting sound of somebody laughing behind them. As quickly as they recognize the noise, a serviceman appears on their rear. His uniform is black, the color of the special squads. This means he's not the only one here. Stalking up behind him are large, snarling dogs with mangled fur the color of the night sky and eyes that glow red as the light of the sun glints off of their eyes. Even in a relaxed form, these dogs are hunched over, shoulders pulled up to their ears and heavy white foam dripping from their mouths as if they were salivating. These are genetically modified dogs that were bred specially for army. It's unknown to the group just how many people are there, inside the tunnel, but you can run away from people, not from the dogs — the team knew they had to stay here and defend themselves. It was, honestly, the only way.

The team spread themselves out immediately. Oikawa slinks up to were Iwaizumi stands, Hanamaki and Matsukawa creeping quietly closer to enemies. They cock their guns, turning off the safety and setting their fingers on the triggers. Before they can get a shot off, however, Kyoutani, roaring, jumps forward to the leader of servicemen, leaping about him and attacking his back. With one deft movement he is clinging to the man's back, a knife slipping from his sleeve and smoothly finding its home deep in the leader's neck, red blood pulsing from the wound and staining Kyoutani's hand.

Yahaba, screaming something unintelligible, runs after him, pushes a dog from Kentarou's back and swiftly killing it with two deafening shots from his gun. The dog, squealing pitifully, falls on the floor in a shower of white foam and thick crimson, but Shigeru feels a strong push from behind him only a moment later, falling down after the dog. He only barely managed to cast aside his gun and extend his arms out in time to catch his fall. Briefly, everything goes dark. Then, millions of sparkles burst in front of his eyes and he feels his neck screaming at him in pain, the burning feeling stretching down his right arm in the same piercing fashion.

One moment — and suddenly Yahaba doesn't feel his arm. A loud cry leaves his chest, outvoicing the screech of the shooting. Suddenly, whatever had latched onto him is ripped away with a snarl. Yahaba can just see Kyoutani shooting at a dog, his face distorted with anger and fear and Yahaba definitely doesn't understand what just happened.

The group can hear the sound of voices from the direction in which they had been heading, and everyone understands that if these are their enemies' voices, they're done. Yahaba can hear someone calling him, can hear Watari's voice and somehow manages to see his worried face, but everything is moving as if he is in water, his body refusing to move and his eyesight swimming before him. Yahaba can only blame himself for that oversight, blame Kyoutani for his desperation, and blame the sunlight as it disappears from his vision. He can see a black boot standing in front of him, he can notice a metal leaf badge on the ankle. It's Iwaizumi's leg he realizes all at once, the team grouping around him protectively.

After a second, Yahaba only has the strength to mentally sigh with relief, and he doesn't quite know whether he falls to sleep or passes out.

A group of people crash through the tunnel, their hands raised and pointing conveniently at the stripes on their chests. The constant roar of gunfire stope, and they can hear the pitter-patter of the servicemen run away, grabbing at their dogs and dragging away their leader's corpse, globs of blood trailing behind them.

They leave the group with the stinking corpse of the dog Yahaba had shot and killed. The people that've come out of the darkness are one of the friendly squads that patrol these areas. For the team, it's a chance to relax without a fear of being caught off guard. As the men come to an ease, Kyoutani jumps up, pushing past Kindaichi and Kunimi and kneeling down next to Yahaba seemingly lifeless body. He doesn't grab his shoulders, doesn't call him: he absolutely doesn't know what to do in situation like this and instead he feels the burst of self-loathing exploding in his chest.

He can hear Yahaba's voice in his mind: _"How many times will I have to tell you: do not go around acting mindlessly!"_

The regret consumes him like the darkness of the cave did earlier, swallowing him whole. It pulled at his stomach and made him gag. Self-loathing quickly replaces the regret, loathing of being so stupidly selfish, loathing over the fact that it was his fault Yahaba was hurt. A cacophony of noise raises around him: the teammates coming closer or backing away. Someone places their hand on his shoulder, but he just shakes it off aggressively. Somebody else calls out his name, but he can only see him, Yahaba, still lying unconscious on his stomach, the clothes stained red where they stick to his neck. Watari sits across from Kyoutani, gently rolling the unconscious boy onto his back so as to unbutton his vest, opening the heavily bleeding part of his shoulder. He yells something to Iwaizumi.

Finally, one of the patrollers approaches, holding a syringe filled with a strange light-pink mixture in his hand. It's an antidote for the poison that the hellhounds' — those black dogs — salvia contains, he explains to the group. The closer the patroller comes to Yahaba, the slower he moves: Kyoutani's angry, borderline furious, look of disdain easily takes away any desire the man has to come closer to the small group. The man hesitates for a second, and Kyoutani jumps, pushing him away and taking the syringe from the man's hands, now shaking with nerves. He throws himself back to Yahaba and raises the syringe over his neck. All the sounds disappear.

"Don't go around acting mindlessly," Oikawa says behind him, and his voice blends with Yahaba's in Kyoutani's mind. Kentarou flinches. His shoulder, grabbed by Oikawa, pulses with a phantom pain. Yahaba always grabbed his shoulders just like Oikawa is doing now. Kyoutani slowly pulls his hand down, the sounds reaching his ears once again. With a sigh, he gives the syringe back to the patroller, watching suspiciously as the antidote is injected underneath Yahaba's skin.

"Good work, KyouKen-chan," Oikawa praises, "Excellent self-contr—"

Iwaizumi doesn't let him finish, giving him a lift punch to the arm and ordering him not to annoy Kyoutani any longer. It's obvious even to the new arrivals that he is on edge. It must be not so bad for them: as captains, they are used to losses.

 

_"Haha, no, just, if we succumb to fear, who'll lead you then?"_

 

The patrol squad's captain says that they can relax here: this recess is something of a micro-base for them. There's lots of them around there: the government made sure that the places were at least protected somehow. These bases are usually not all too useful, but in moments like these they're the only hope. Kentarou doesn't care for the man's explanations, instead taking it upon himself to block Yahaba both from his teammates and the patrol squad using his body. He picks him up carefully and sullenly stalks towards where he is pointed to go, snapping at everyone who tries to intervene and point out that he holds Yahaba wrong. Kyoutahi has enough basic knowledge as well as the additional knowledge that Yahaba has given to him, and he absolutely knows which parts of Yahaba's body are strong and which require careful handling. Iwaizumi-san says nothing, merely glancing at Kyoutani from time to time, and Kentarou knows well enough that he doesn't have to take somebody else's orders.

Once Yahaba has had his shoulder disinfected a second time and bandaged up, they gently lay him on a mattress in the corner of the crevice they are stashed in, the sunlight warming up the ground and basking the boy in a soft glow. Kyoutani, not saying a word, sits down next to him, close to his head. His machine gun lies next to his right hand, fingers twitching, and his heavy gaze hidden under lowered lashes zooms around the room before landing on Iwaizumi, Oikawa, and the patrol squad's leader's backs. They're talking about something. His ears strain as he hears Yahaba's name mentioned and listens carefully almost without breathing.

"You can't take him like this," A medic shakes his head, "He needs complete rest for at least a week. He'll be fine in two days, but he can't go anywhere until he makes a full recovery. It could cause further injury to him, and will likely raise stress levels exponentially." Iwaizumi nods his head understandingly, blinking slowly. Kyoutani's heart skips a beat and his eyes narrow. If they were going to leave Yahaba here alone, Kentarou sure as hell wouldn't leave him behind, even if it were by his captain's orders.

"I'll make sure he gets everything he needs," The leader says immediately, before rising to his feet and pacing from the room. Iwaizumi looks at his back with a slight smile. If this apocalypse has brought something good, it was brotherhood. Of course, not everywhere, they're lucky here. But still. Now all that was left was the hardest part. Iwaizumi turns around and stumbles at a look that only he and Yahaba have learn to survive.

"Kyoutani--," He starts but he's interrupted immediately.

"No."

"We can't take him," Oikawa interferes, "And we sure as hell can't leave you here," tightly and unshakable, "You're too troubled," He murmurs, and Iwaizumi can't help but agrees.

"I'm staying here," Kyoutani says defiantly, turning from the two of them to instead state down at the injured Yahaba.

"Can you not be such a…" Such a what? A child? A stubborn dog? Iwaizumi takes a moment to let his imagination put Oikawa in Yahaba's position. Hajime feels that he doesn't have any right to even say a word. What would he do, if this were Oikawa instead of Yahaba? Would he leave him, even if it was for Tooru's own good? He would…he definitely would snap and stifle any hint of leaving Tooru. He doesn't want to admit it, but it would be so. And the pictures in his mind were realistic and depressing, pulling at Iwaizumi's mind so harshly he had to shake his head to rid himself of them.

"Iwaizumi-san," Watari interjected himself into the conversation. He had been sitting there, near the entrance, waiting for someone to tell him how his friend had faired. "I'm staying," Shinji survives three looks staunchly: two surprised and one especially hostile. "And let Kyoutani stay too," Kentarou blinks and looks at him in surprise, but still a bit incredulously. "I'll make sure he won't bring any trouble." Watari looks down the rush of taking charge overwhelming him and making him swallow down a lump in his throat. Making sure that something would be delivered at time, that somebody would do their work well or that a machine would be switched off after work was nothing compared to this responsibility that rested on his shoulders now.

Kyoutani was too attached to Yahaba to leave Yahaba alone, even if he was okay. However, Kentarou's temper was dynamic and fiery, something that his team are used to, but would likely become ann issue for the patrol squad. Sure these guys were kind, but who knew how they would treat Yahaba because of Kyoutani? For all he knew, his calmest temper could cause them to simply throw him and Yahaba out of their small encampment, and that was the best case scenario. At worst, they'd be killed right here, both in one moment. The scariest thing was, Kyoutani was not afraid of this kind if death. He would panic in the case of being left to his fate with a half-dead Yahaba, but if he knew that Yahaba would die here with him, would die without any sorts of torture, then he would be all the more accepting to die like this. This is where it would get complicated, leaving him alone. He could and would injure not only the others, but himself too.

Loosing three teammates in one moment was not what Iwaizumi has done before, but this was the only way out: Kyoutani would never leave Yhaba like this. He would rather shoot both himself and Yahaba than agree to leave him. But if he's alone, with and unconscious Yahaba who now couldn't reassure him that all would be fine, he would likely become one of the biggest problems this patrol squad had ever faced. This was why they would have to leave Watari with him: he could calm him down as Yahaba's best friend, what with having adopted some of his habits, and who knew some of his notable phrases that Kyoutani would listen to. And letting Watari stay was not a permission — it was a forced measure.

Iwaizumi sighed, a bit disappointed, but then gives Watari a small, strained smile, tapping him reassuringly on the shoulder. "All right", he peeks back at Kyoutani who still sits in the same reserved and defensive pose. "I'm leaving these two to you."

"Roger!" Watari answers as he was taught to and steps aside letting Iwaizumi come in the room. The captain approaches Kyoutani with heavy steps. The boy glares up at him. Even now, when his captain cooly looking down onto him, he is determined and he's ready to retort with whatever snark he has in him.

"Don't give any trouble to the patrol squad." Iwaizumi orders softly, scanning him from head to foot.

"Roger," Kyoutani says begrudgingly, not even bothering to disguise his blatant insubordination.

"And to Watari," Iwaizumi continues as if the other hadn't spoken at all, "Don't act mindlessly and listen to the squad's leader." He orders for the last time, the tone of his voice leaving no room for complaint or argument, then turns around and heads back to the exit of the room.

"Yes," Kyoutani sighs, pulling his knees up to his chest sullenly.

Watari nods back to Iwaizumi's trustful nodding, and ignores Oikawa's unknowing look that is glued on their backs. Most likely, tomorrow their team, decreased by three — but it's just for a while, of course — would be leaving this place. Watari would have to say goodbye.

Only then Shinji allowed himself to squint and sigh. Now he would be responsible for two lives besides his own. Not even lives. Now he must make sure that the three of them wouldn't be thrown away from their safe fortress, and this could happen at any time due to Kyoutani's aggressive and temperamental personality. He could only hope that Kentarou would listen to him, at least for Yahaba's sake, and that Yahaba himself will wake up soon. Only Yahaba was able to truly keep Kyoutani under control.

Sometimes, Watari puts himself in Iwaizumi or Oikawa's shoes, but before it was just in his mind, just thoughts. And now he's going to survive this.

Maybe, in this tunnel, his railway ties with Yahaba's and Kyoutani's. Maybe, here they tie in a knot — and termiante. But which side they terminate from, they will see. If their past is now behind them, then their future — Yahaba's recovery, the unknown, and a new way to the Alive Center — was in the fog.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my very first English fanfiction so i hope i don't have SO many mistakes since English is not my first language x)  
> But special thanks to my saver — my beta LiterallyAViking [http://literallyaviking.tumblr.com/]. Thank you very much again!  
> If you have any questions: http://r-shanie.tumblr.com/


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